Nigeria: Oil Workers Threaten to Shut DPR

Lagos — Oil workers under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have flayed the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison Madueke over her refusal to release the appointment letters of successful candidates into the Department of Petroleum Resources.

The oil workers wondered why the minister has held on to the appointment letters for two years despite the issuance of certificate of compliance by Federal Character Commission.

The union therefore warned that it would have no choice than to shut the Department of Petroleum Resources if the minister continues to delay the release of the appointment letters to the successful candidates.

The oil workers disclosed this in a communiqué issued at the end of its joint National Executive Committee meeting which held in Calabar, Cross Rivers State, recently.

A copy of the communiqué signed by the Presidents and General Secretaries of the unions was made available to our correspondent in Lagos, yesterday.

When contacted, spokesman of DPR, Paul Osu said the agency is not aware of the oil workers' communique. He promised to find out about the communiqué and get back to our correspondent.

The oil workers expressed disgust over the resurgence of fuel scarcity in the country and implored the federal government to take appropriate steps to end the scarcity in the interest of the nation.

According to them, government should provide more incentives to encourage investments in the downstream sector, especially the building of refineries and petro-chemical plants by investors.

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